Biology/Life Sciences

Duke University

Department: Biology
Degree: PhD
Location: Durham, NC

Stipend

$42,500/yr Estimated

University-wide minimum, not confirmed for this department · Paid over 12 months · 2025-2026 · First-year matriculants; paid Aug to Aug (13 pay months) · Underlying university-wide figure is official

Estimated: our estimate, not a published figure · Source: Duke Graduate School: Tuition, Fees and PhD Stipend Schedule · Verified 2026-09-28

Cost of living in Durham, NC

City-median rent is a city-level figure, not a near-campus price; university graduate housing lines are the university's own published rates. Each line is labeled with its own source.

Rent, 1-bedroom (city median) $1,320/mo Estimated City median 1BR. 1BR down 10.8% year over year. Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (university graduate housing, shared, per person) $2,296/mo Official 300 Swift private bedroom in a 2-bedroom: $13,775 per six months. 2026-27 (Jul 1 to Jun 30). Monthly figure derived: $13,775 divided by 6. Furnished; water, electricity and internet included. Open to PhD students; not guaranteed. The subsidized Lancaster Commons apartments are for master's students with financial need only, so they are excluded. Source: Duke Student Affairs: 300 Swift Apartments · Verified 2026-09-29
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (city median) $800/mo Estimated City median 2BR, split two ways. 1BR down 10.8% year over year. Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Utilities (nearest-metro stand-in) $194/mo Estimated Nearest-metro proxy (Raleigh). No Numbeo figure for this town; Raleigh stand-in. Excludes internet. Source: Numbeo (Americas table, Sept 27 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Public transit Free with student ID Official Free GoPass (GoTriangle, GoRaleigh) with Duke NetID; GoDurham fare-free; free Duke buses and vans. GoPass is free for students with a Duke NetID and @duke.edu email (Umo app code). GoDurham and GoCary are fare-free; GoDurham was approved fare-free through Jun 30 2026, so confirm it continues. Duke Transit buses and evening Duke Vans (about 1.5 miles) are free. Source: Duke Parking & Transportation: GoPass · Verified 2026-09-28
Parking $273/yr Official Graduate/professional permit for Science Drive Garage or Parking Garage 3. The page quotes $273 per year for the graduate student rate but describes 2024-25 sales, so the 2025-26 and 2026-27 amounts were not confirmed. Daily passes: $11 single-day or $27 multi-day for graduate students (Duke Today, Jul 2026). A free after-hours NGT permit is available (evenings and weekends, $5 admin fee). Source: Duke Parking & Transportation: Graduate & Professional Student Permits · Verified 2026-09-28
Groceries Not yet available

About this department

Summaries are paraphrased from the department's own pages. Individual faculty are not listed here; use the official directory.

Confirm deadlines on the department's own page before applying.

Department Department of Biology Official Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Degrees offered
- PhD
Official
Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Overview Duke Biology runs a flexible PhD in the biological sciences where most time goes to research, alongside coursework, seminars, an oral qualifying exam, a year of teaching and a defended dissertation. The department collaborates with Duke Medical Center basic science departments and the Nicholas School of the Environment. Official Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Research areas
- Biophysics
- Cell and molecular biology
- Developmental biology
- Ecology and population biology
- Evolution
- Genetics
- Genomics
- Neuroscience
- Organismal biology and behavior
- Systematics
Official
Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Faculty Faculty directory (official) Official Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
PhD funding (department statement) The department, with the Graduate School and external funders, supports PhD students at or above the standard departmental stipend and covers tuition and fees for six years, provided satisfactory progress. Teaching and research assistantships are available through year six, and health insurance premiums and student health fees are covered. First-year fellowships and 12-month stipends for the first five years are described on the financial aid page. Official Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
PhD application deadline December 1 Official Deadlines vary by department. This date is for Department of Biology. Confirm on the official admissions page. The Graduate School program page gives December 1 without a year. The department How to Apply page still shows a December 1, 2025 deadline from a past cycle, so no current cycle year is stated. No time of day is given. Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
GRE policy General GRE and GRE Biology subject test are optional; not submitting them does not hurt an application. Official Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Application requirements
- Apply through the Duke Graduate School
- statement of purpose naming faculty of interest
- letters of recommendation
- relevant coursework and research experience considered
- no GPA cutoff
- contacting potential mentors encouraged.
Official
Source: biology.duke.edu · Verified 2026-10-21

Master's tuition

Published tuition (before any aid). PhD students usually have tuition waived; their offer letter confirms. This is not part of the stipend-versus-cost-of-living comparison.

Master's tuition at Duke University Not yet available